The Pretense of Happiness
by One Lonely Maurader
Summary: (AU)This is a story of a young hanyou trapped in an abusive home. Can Inuyasha's friends (a slightly new cast) save him before his step father goes too far?


**The Pretense of Happiness **

Author: Kalika Storm (formerly known as Theoretically Metephorical)

**Disclaimer: **I have never claimed to own Inuyasha, in any story I've ever written, I don't own any Anime, or any cartoon, book/movie I write about…about now the only I have that is my own, is this damn cold…or whatever the hell it is. I leave Inuyasha to Takahashi-sama.

**Author's Notes: **It's been a long time since anybody's seen anything from is, hasn't it? I know because I've been counting since the last time I wrote a story, even a full chapter. It was nearly 9 months. From March – November. I finally sat down last month and wrote something! I was astounded at how fast, and how fluid this story came out. For the record, aside from basic spelling/grammar check, this story is unedited. Why? Well, originally I had no intent whatsoever to post this on , because there looks to be no continuation coming from my muses. Kalika wrote this one herself, Kat threw in her two cents to make his past seem all that more dangerous.

That's all I know folks, so don't get angry at me if you don't see another chapter very soon, Kalika and Kat are actually arguing over whether or not I should write a Fillmore Fanfic. …Yes, I said Fillmore. Why? Because I like that cartoon! It's awesome!! I love Ingrid. Don't get me wrong though, I do have intentions of continuing this sometime, but I refuse to try and force my muses to do anything they don't want to know. The last time I did that to Kat, she left me for 9 months.

So…just enjoy what this is, if you were to look at it in my mind frame (the one I have now, sick and mental) you may actually think it's a good chapter to stand alone on. But the way I wrote it, there are too many loose ends to tie up to leave it as a one-shot like that. The plan is to write 5 chapters, including this one..nothing more, nothing less. It'll take a while to get there, have to let the inspiration flow on its own. I'm just amazed this actually came out this well, if you go back to read a previous story…you can tell my writing's matured over the last 9 months of absence. So be happy I got THIS out.

…You're still reading this? Go read! Now! Get! coughs

Walking to class that Monday morning, the white haired adolescent glowered at the ground absently, caught up in his own thoughts. The dim scowl on his face, threw back any who attempted to confront him, and those who were normally on his back about something, made a clear and extra wide path to avoid the obviously annoyed young man that day.

They were however, dangerously mistaken on the mood of this certain boy. He wasn't annoyed, he wasn't murderous; no, he was something much worse. He was down right pissed off. Though, nobody in the school was on his death list that day, he was strictly pissed off at the world, and walking with a strange stiffness that wasn't there the Friday before.

There were about two people in the entirety of the 3,000 high school students that actually personally knew Inuyasha. One of them was a young lady named Ayame; she was a wolf demon, even if nobody in the mostly human school actually knew it at that time.

The other, Inuyasha's older half-brother Sesshoumaru; he lived with _his _mother about 6 blocks away from Inuyasha and his father. Having just transferred from Tsugawa High in Hikawa, he doesn't know his brother that much, and…at the moment, you can tell he doesn't really care. But he knows him enough, to speak personally with him – though this could be because he can easily overpower his younger brother should the need arise.

Ayame, brushing a strand of red hair behind her head, approached the distracted Inuyasha silently as he stood in front of his locker, staring absently.

"Koinu?"(_Koinu Puppy_!) She murmured gently, touching his shoulder gingerly, only to pull away at wince she felt, rather than saw.

"Nandekka?" (_What do you want?)_ He muttered in such a tone that the young woman was struck with concern automatically.

"Doushita no?" (_What's wrong?_)

A slight movement in his head meant he had looked slightly upwards, but a shrug was about all she was going to get. "Nan de?" (_Why?_)

"Ano…" she trailed off, then shook her head.

"Mm… Betsu Ni…" (_Umm... it's nothing_) with that she then backed off when he looked at her, amber eyes piercing her own and holding her gaze.

"I'm fine," it was two words, two very misleading words. But two words none-the-less, and it was all she could ask for from him.

"Ok." She replied, in other words saying 'I understand' with that she waited silently for him to grab his books, and they walked to class in silence.

_The tiny white haired child awoke suddenly from a dream to shattering glass and a stifled scream. This was then followed by forced whispers down the hall, and a sudden slapping sound. _

_Being only so far in control of his newly gained senses – having turned 5 a few weeks ago, Inuyasha could do no more than strain his tiny ears to catch clips of the conversation that he shouldn't have heard. _

"_Kousetsu, onegai, stop this! You're going to wake Inuyasha…if you haven't already!" the young one's mother pleaded desperately, as another slam was heard, and more arguing ensued. What was this argument about? Why...little Inuyasha of course. _

_  
Every night it seemed to be the same thing, something would bring about an argument concerning the child. The first argument came when Kousetsu – Inuyasha's stepfather – first saw Inuyasha after the marriage. It was, of course, an arranged marriage to keep Izayoi – Inuyasha's mother – in the Inu Youkai family. He was a guardian and messenger for the Inu Youkai family, whom were very honorable, even to this day in modern Japan. _

_When Kousetsu saw Inuyasha, he deemed the child unacceptable. It was bad enough he was to marry and take care of a human woman, but to have to call himself father to a filthy hanyou? Unacceptable! And he would voice this opinion repeatedly, and loudly. _

_Tonight though, tonight it was worse. Inuyasha had been sent home from 1st year class because he accidentally hurt another student with his claws. He'd been playing with a young girl with ashen hair and when she turned around he tagged her, but ended up cutting her arm with his baby claws. He was traumatized; she was crying…he was sent home. _

_So tonight was the fight that shook the foundation of the family once again. Inuyasha huddled in his bed, cuddling his blanket tightly, eyes squeezed shut almost in pain as he tried to drown out the voices that would forever echo in his head. _

"_Please…stop," he whimpered to the darkness, before another slam against the wall made him yelp and then feint sleep as his door opened. The last thing he heard was his mother whisper her love to him before the door shut again, and the fighting died for the night._

Looking up from his notebook, Inuyasha glanced around noticing that class was filtering out as the bell rang, signifying lunch beginning.

Had anybody taken the time to look back in his direction, somebody would have noticed Inuyasha absently drawing a very curious picture in his notebook, that of a young boy, in the arms of an older woman. The woman was dressed in elaborate silk robes and hugging the young white haired child to her heart.

Unbeknownst to anybody else (save for Ayame of course), Inuyasha was a brilliant artist and writer. Beneath the Goth/punk wannabe façade, he was about as quiet and reserved as anybody else; he just chose to lash out when confronted.

Now, taking into consideration his background and race, Inuyasha has a lot going against him in life; not only was he not part of either world, but he was also an outsider in every word. He was both the mysterious bishounen, and the 'don't talk to him' outcast that everybody avoided for fear of being ostracized for socializing with him.

Walking out of the classroom behind the crowd, Inuyasha managed to get to his locker, then away from it and outside to his favorite hiding spot in record time. Ayame came around not long after, and only moments of consideration later, she realized where he'd be.

Inuyasha always had a hiding spot, wherever he went, it saved him from much mockery throughout life. In school, his hiding spot was back in the courtyard, up in one of the older trees. This was where he would go before school, during lunches and various breaks, and after school if he didn't want to go home.

Because if he went home…well, it wasn't something he liked to face.

"Koinu-chan, daijoubu ka?" (Puppy darling, are you ok? approx. meaning) Ayame asked as she managed to make herself comfortable on the branch next to Inuyasha's carefully.

"You know the answer to that Imoutou-san,"(Sister see explanation at end of chapter) he mumbled absently, looking down at the ground. Propping himself up on his elbow the older boy looked over at the woman he called sister quietly, a depth escaping he only showed to few.

"Hai, but I wish you'd discuss it. You should talk about your problems Inu-chan, not burry then deep inside." She chided gently, smiling ever so slightly in his direction.

"You say that all the time Ayame, yet, if you only knew…" he trailed off, a look of melancholy in his eyes.

'_He always looks so sad when he thinks nobody's looking'_ Ayame thought to herself quietly, taking in the look her 'brother' held, and feeling his pain as if it were her own. She knew his situation, knew the life he lived. Being a demon herself, she understood what it meant for him to be half-demon.

Being neither human, nor demon trapped between two worlds, accepted in neither, and scorned by both all the same.

This young female Youkai understood what his life was, and would always be; yet was still in awe at how regal he looked, even in the depths of depression. Even when he hid it, the child was of royalty, be it of past, or otherwise. She knew his mother was from a long line of Shinto priestess's, and his father – the Inu Youkai whom once ruled over all of Japan, back in the days that Tokyo was Edo, the Feudal Era.

Come to think of it, Ayame knew a lot about the boy she called brother, even if she should herself be against him. But her family had disowned this young girl at a young age for being friends with a hanyou; so, from that day on, the two of them were outcasts together. In a school of about 3500, being two of about 20 youkai in the school.

"You're moving gingerly," she pointed out quietly, gaining a sharp stare for a moment, only for said stare to dissolve into nothingness after a moment. "Yeah, so?"

"Just a comment…" she said nonchalantly and they fell into silence again, both going into their own worlds again. For the rest of the 45-minute break they'd stay like that, till the bell went off signifying classes were going back in session soon.

"Come on bro, let's get to class, it's your favorite. Advanced Chemistry…ooh, all the chemicals and formulas, Mr. genius." She teased before leaping down and waiting for him.

Rolling his eyes, the aforementioned 'genius' leapt down next to her, landing awkwardly, before brushing off his stealth's and following her to the doors, and in for class.

The day's end came all too soon for Inuyasha, who lingered behind in class with Ayame (who had been struggling with her assignment ever so slightly). His reasoning behind staying was confidential, but being his best friend, Ayame understood the unspoken words all too well.

Once the red head finished her work, she left it on Machiro-sensei's desk and they sauntered out of the classroom towards their lockers.

After getting all essential books, C.D. players, and the like, Inuyasha hoisted his laptop bag onto his shoulder and stared at the ground, till Ayame broke the silence, suggesting he come to her house for the evening.

"Seriously though Koinu-chan," she said cheerfully as they exited school grounds, "come by my house for a while, have dinner, let me make use of your laptop and wireless net...it'll keep you occupied till later tonight. I'm sure it shouldn't be too big of a problem."

Her reasoning, in theory, was wonderful; and a brilliant idea at that…but it wouldn't work.

"I'm sorry Ayame, but you know my step-father. He's really been in a fit about something lately, I don't want to piss him off even more than I did last week..." he said with an air of dark humor in his voice that hung over the two as they walked down the sidewalk together.

"Yeah but…" was all Ayame could get out before Inuyasha grabbed her into a very rare one armed hug before they broke paths. "Take care Koinu-chan…" she murmured gently and walked home slowly.

Inuyasha however, after the little race to get away from his friend, stalled in his own journey home, standing at the top of the hill that overlooked the street where his house was located. Today, for some reason, Inuyasha really didn't want to go home. _I don't know why…but I don't want to go home..._

Snorting slightly he started slowly towards his house. _Home, _he thought bitterly, _that house isn't my home…it hasn't been for the longest time…_

After a good 10 minutes of stalling he started down the path leading to his house. Where he lived, you'd think he was royalty. The house was more a mansion, four stories, and 18 rooms, each with its own unique feature, giving said room a life of its own.

The front and back of the house were both done to look like a tiny forest, elaborately landscaped by his mother to be a maze of sorts, making it both breathtaking, and mystifying in the same glance. One would get lost within the depths of the woodland had they not known their way around from birth. It seemed to Inuyasha – as he walked down the paved path towards the mansion – that there were millions of different types of shrubbery and wildflowers, all planted masterfully, giving the area such a splash of color, it looked like something from a work of art. But that was his mother; that was the essence of who she was in life.

This was where he would come to hide at times, if he wanted to be alone, knowing not even his stepfather could find him in that place. He could hide for hours untouched and in silence, in what he considered to be a shrine to his mother, the last bit of life she breathed into his world before her death. In his mind, sitting up in the trees, or under them even, breathing in the pureness of the air around him…he could almost feel her with him sometimes; sitting along side him, humming her own gentle tune; keeping him safe from harm even without being there in person.

However, what lurked inside…this thought jerked Inuyasha from his reverie with the sharpness of a whip and he stumbled forward, having lost track of time and kept moving forward.

The beauty that lay outside, was a stark contrast to what…or whom, lay within the walls of the mansion. That was what Inuyasha dreaded most.

And that dread was well founded, he realized, as soon as he stepped inside that evening.

"Hello _son…_" Kousetsu said quietly, a very grim smile on his face as Inuyasha glared defiantly at the man he was forced to call father.

The door shut behind the young hanyou, entrapping him in a power struggle, and a world of pain that he was all too accustom with. And yet, even as the first strike echoed on the walls, the forest outside sat quietly, leaving the pretense of tranquility, where inside, it was anything but.

**Required "note at end of fic": **Hi again, yes I'm back... why? 'cause I thought you didn't get enough of my babble the first time...

So yeah, nods how was it? Did you like it, love it, think it should be burned... what? I want to know, and I want to truth. Ok? Don't be nice. I've taken crap from my stories before, I can take it now too. Just remember, if you're going to critisize...DO. IT. TASTEFULLY. The first review I get saying "You're story sux you should die!" I'm removing it and laughing my little ass off at how fuckin' retarded you are for making that comment.

Do it while I'm sick and I may come after you for being so retarded. ...But that's the mood I'm in now mostly because I have to leave soon to drive an hour to my Computer Hardware Fundamentals Class. (yay for college! --; )

The buttons are down there for a reason, read and review... I'd do the same for you.


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